Posts Categorised: simplify

There are only a few days left before the year is over and I’ve already started thinking about my 2018 goals.

Before I say good-bye forever to 2017, I should probably review the previous 12 months. This is where I hesitate, because end of the year reflections can be really overwhelming. A quick internet search of “year-end reflection questions” yields results like:

50 Questions to Help You Review 2017

25 Questions to Ask Yourself Before the End of the Year

20 End of the Year Reflection Questions

I don’t know how you feel, but I think 50 questions is ALOT of questions! Even 20 is a lot. I have 2 young kids and I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself. How will I have enough time or brain power to answer 50 questions before the end of the year!?!?

1. What did I do, make or experience that I’m really proud of?2. What mistake did I make and what did I learn from it?
3. What am I willing to let go of?

Here’s Marie’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbKUN6mJHjc

1. What did I do, make or experience that I’m really proud of?
I’m really proud of my Etsy Shop. I’m proud that it’s filled with things that I thought of and brought to life. I’m proud of the cute designs. Mostly, I’m proud of the smiles my designs bring to people.

I am also really proud of my decision to stay with my kids and homeschool. I’m proud of the people they are becoming. I see their love for God growing. I see their compassion for people growing. I see their willingness to serve others. I am proud that I get to be their main influencer and encourager.

2. What mistake did I make and what did I learn from it?
The mistake I made was neglecting to take care of myself.
I didn’t drink enough water.
I didn’t sleeping enough.
I didn’t take enough deep breaths.
I didn’t laugh enough.
I didn’t spend enough time alone.

I learned that I cannot take care of others if I do not take care of myself.

3. What am I willing to let go of?
I’m willing to let go of my desire to please everyone.
I’m willing to let go of the idea that I can control what others think of me.
I’m willing to let go of my need to be liked and accepted by everyone.

The truth is I cannot please everyone and when I try, I’m miserable.
The truth is I can’t control what others think of me. What others think of me probably has a lot more to do with who they are than who I am.
The truth is not everyone will like me or approve of my life choices, and that’s okay.

Now that I’ve taken a few moments to reflect on the 2017, I am officially ready to bid farewell to 2017 and say hello to 2018.

This year, you had an idea and made it come to life. You turned your thoughts into reality. You strengthened hearts. You challenged minds. You lightened loads and encouraged spirits. You cared. You loved. You gave. The world would be a very different place without you and I appreciate you.

May your Christmas be filled with love, joy and laughter. Merry Christmas!

Teaching. Cleaning. Laundry. Cooking. Driving. Errands. Meetings. It’s not surprising that the end of the day is when I’m the most irritable. I have a feeling a lot of my end of day frustrations would disappear if, instead of staying up, I just went to sleep.

Yesterday was election day. Whether you submitted a ballot or not, you still have a chance to vote. How? Every day is voting day. Every day we cast our votes for what we deem important. How we spend our money, where we go, what we watch and who we spend time with are all votes.

Hi! My name is Loni (a.k.a. MamaFish). I'm a maker, mother and Mrs. and I'm on a mission to cover the world with smiles! This is where I write about fun stuff for kids and the grown-ups who love them. Read more...